Board adopts parental-notification language for student surveys, keeps district's more protective consent standard

Millard Public Schools approved two rules Monday that address parental access and research/testing procedures for students, adding a notification step required by state legislation while keeping the district's existing practice that parents must provide permission before students take certain surveys.

The rules (6,800.1 on parental access and 6,900.1 on research/testing) reflect changes in state law that require districts to notify parents within 15 days about surveys that touch on specific subject areas. Board members asked whether the district's prior practice was already more protective than the statute; staff said Millard's policy already required the district to send survey materials to parents and obtain positive parental consent for surveys on sensitive subjects.

Board members asked how federal surveys are handled and whether they target every student or a sample. Staff replied that practice varies by survey, and sometimes state or federal contractors ask districts to distribute a survey to all high school students or to a sampled subset; staff said the district will continue to provide parents with the full survey questions and request permission before administering.

Board discussion focused on ensuring district policy did not loosen existing protections. Staff said they inserted the statutory notification language (15-day notice) without removing the district's prior parental-consent requirement, noting that redundancy in the text intentionally preserved local protections in addition to meeting state law.

The board approved the rules by roll call. Staff said they would finalize handbook and procedural language so parents know how surveys will be shared and how to grant or withhold consent.